When this article on mouth care in nursing homes came out in the NY Times, I received numerous emails from friends and family.  The article brings up important issues, but just as educative are the numerous comments provided.

This is a start... for a new volunteer organization dedicated to improving the oral health of New Jersey's vulnerable elderly. Like the first group, Michigan Coalition for Oral health for the Aging, started by Dr. Elisa Ghezzi, this will be done through advocacy, education, research and action. We already have a Facebook page, look up NJCOHA or email me for the full URL, but I understand some have had difficulty finding this or are not on Facebook.

The first mission of this group is to address mouth care in nursing homes. We need to investigate best practices for education and implement them.

The second mission is to survey the state and determine how are the oral health needs of vulnerable elderly being met. Data is needed to have a sense of the problem and this will require a screening initiative similar to that done in other states, including Massachusetts and Kentucky.

We will rely on volunteers: dentists, hygienists, assistants, active and retired. Students- dental, dental hygiene, pre-dental and others. There are many dental professionals who love to volunteer- they need a vehicle to do it.

We need to establish 501c3 non-profit status as we will need funding for supplies. Eventually, we will need paid staff, including a volunteer coordinator.

If this interests you, feel free to leave a comment or visit our Facebook site. You can also email me at szwetch at "gee-mail" dot com.

Sam